Monday, March 18, 2013

Topps American Heritage Heroes - Page 2

The "theme" of the set changes every 10 cards - and with the change in theme there is a corresponding theme in Topps card design. The first 10 cards are military heroes. The next batch of 10 are political heroes.

Best photo: Claiborne Pell
Pell's photo isn't particularly special, but it looks special when surrounded by all the other "old timey" looking cards. He looks like a scientist but he was actually a politician. As a college professor, I am quite familiar with Pell Grants - named after him.Best subject: Charles Weltner
A southern politician who actually voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.Best surprise: George Mason
Mason was mad that the Constitution didn't focus on individual rights enough. So mad, in fact, that he didn't sign American's most famous document as a protest of sorts.Best card back: Thomas Jefferson
The card refers to Jefferson as an "astute political philosopher and brilliant polymath." I had never heard the word polymath before so kudos to Topps for teaching both history and language!

Best card: Abraham Lincoln
Looking at the page objectively, Lincoln is probably the most fitting to be called a "political hero." Unfortunately, this set is overrun with Lincoln (as you'll see towards the end of the set) but that shouldn't dissuade me from choosing him here.